Genteel society ladies who compare notes on their husbands' suicides. A hilariously foul-mouthed black drag queen. A voodoo priestess who works her roots in the graveyard at midnight. A prominent antiques dealer who hangs a Nazi flag from his window to disrupt the shooting of a movie. And a redneck gigolo whose conquests describe him as a "walking streak of sex".

Bitter Blood: A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder

In this unrelenting real-life drama of three wealthy families connected by marriage and murder, Bledsoe recounts the shocking events, obsessive love, and bitter custody battles that led toward the bloody climax that took nine lives.

Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest

In 1911 two wealthy British heiresses, Claire and Dora Williamson, came to a sanitorium in the forests of the Pacific Northwest to undergo the revolutionary fasting treatment of Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard. It was supposed to be a holiday for the two sisters. But within a month of arriving at what the locals called Starvation Heights, the women were emaciated shadows of their former selves, waiting for death.

Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder

The true story of Barbara Stager, a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader who committed an almost perfect crime. By all accounts, Stager seemed to lead the perfect life in her community in Durham, North Carolina. After her husband, popular high school coach Russ, died tragically, the police were inclined to believe her story - that she accidentally shot him. Suspicions rose when the police discovered that Stager's previous husband had died similarly 10 years prior.

L.A. Confidential

Six prisoners are beaten senseless in their cells by cops crazed on alcohol. For the three LAPD detectives involved, it will expose the guilty secrets on which they have built their corrupt and violent careers.

God'll Cut You Down: The Tangled Tale of a White Supremacist, a Black Hustler, a Murder, and How I Lost a Year in Mississippi

A notorious white supremacist named Richard Barrett was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 2010 by a young black man named Vincent McGee. At first the murder seemed a twist on old Deep South race crimes. But then new revelations and complications came to light. Maybe it was a dispute over money rather than race - or, maybe and intriguingly, over sex.

Bitter Almonds: The True Story of Mothers, Daughters, and the Seattle Cyanide Murders

Stella Nickell's small-time world was one of big-time dreams. In 1986, her biggest one came true when her husband died during a seizure, making her the beneficiary of a $175,000-plus insurance payoff - until authorities discovered that Bruce Nickell's headache capsules had been laced with cyanide. In an attempt to cover her tracks, Stella did the unconscionable. She saw to it that a stranger would also become a 'random casualty' of cyanide-tainted painkillers.

Doc: The Rape of the Town of Lovell

For twenty-five years, the trusted family doctor in a small Wyoming town had been raping and molesting the women and children who most relied on him. Mostly Mormons, the naive victims sometimes realized on their wedding nights the truth about what had happened in Dr. Story's office.

The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders: The Story of a Town in Terror

The salacious and scandalous murders of a series of couples on Texarkana's "lovers' lanes" created a media maelstrom and cast a pall of fear over an entire region. What is even more surprising is that the case has remained cold for decades. Combining archival research and investigative journalism, Pulitzer Prize-nominated historian James Presley reveals evidence that provides crucial keys to unlocking this decades-old puzzle.

The Paperboy

The sun was rising over Moat County, Florida, when Sheriff Thurmond Call was found on the highway, gutted like an alligator. A local redneck was tried, sentenced, and set to fry. Then Ward James, a hotshot investigative reporter for the Miami Times, returns to his rural hometown with a death row femme fatale who promises him the story of the decade. She’s armed with explosive evidence and aims to free - and meet - her convicted “fiancé.”

Blood Games: A True Account of Family Murder

A true story detailing the events surrounding the murder of wealthy North Carolinian Lieth von Stein. The case seemed cold until police followed a trail leading to von Stein's stepson, a smart young man who was obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons and wrapped up in drugs.

The Darkest Night: Two Sisters, a Brutal Murder, and the Loss of Innocence in a Small Town

Casper, Wyoming: 1973. Eleven-year-old Amy Burridge rides with her 18-year-old sister, Becky, to the grocery store. When they finish their shopping, Becky's car gets a flat tire. Two men politely offer them a ride home. Yet they were anything but good Samaritans. The girls would suffer unspeakable crimes at the hands of these men before being thrown from a bridge into the North Platte River. One miraculously survived; the other did not.

People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo - and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up

Lucie Blackman - tall, blond, 21 years old - stepped out into the vastness of Tokyo in the summer of 2000 and disappeared. The following winter, her dismembered remains were found buried in a seaside cave. The seven months in between had seen a massive search for the missing girl involving Japanese policemen, British private detectives, and Lucie’s desperate but bitterly divided parents. Had Lucie been abducted by a religious cult or snatched by human traffickers? Who was the mysterious man she had gone to meet? And what did her work as a hostess in the notorious Roppongi district of Tokyo really involve?

True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa

When New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo - who has taken on Finkel's identity - his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat and mouse. True Story weaves a spellbinding tale of murder, love, deceit, and redemption, following Finkel's relentless pursuit of the shocking truth.

Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood

By 1920, the movies had suddenly become America's new favorite pastime and one of the nation's largest industries. Never before had a medium possessed such power to influence; yet Hollywood's glittering ascendancy was threatened by a string of headline-grabbing tragedies - including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now.

Die, My Love: A True Story of Revenge, Murder, and Two Texas Sisters

The day before Halloween 2004 was the last day on Earth for respected, well-liked college professor Fred Jablin. That morning, a neighbor discovered his body lying in a pool of blood in the driveway of Jablin's Virginia home. Police immediately turned their attentions to the victim's ex-wife, Piper, a petite, pretty Texas lawyer who had lost a bitter custody battle and would do anything to get her kids back. But Piper was in Houston, 1,000 miles away, at the time of the slaying and couldn't possibly have been the killer...could she?

Empire of Sin

Empire of Sin re-creates the remarkable story of New Orleans' 30-years war against itself, pitting the city's elite "better half" against its powerful and long-entrenched underworld of vice, perversity, and crime. This early-20th-century battle centers on one man: Tom Anderson, the undisputed czar of the city's Storyville vice district, who fights desperately to keep his empire intact as it faces onslaughts from all sides.

The Runaway Jury

In Biloxi, Mississippi, a landmark tobacco trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake begins routinely, then swerves mysteriously off course. The jury is behaving strangely, and at least one juror is convinced he's being watched...

The Informant

From an award-winning New York Times investigative reporter comes an outrageous story of greed, corruption, and conspiracy, which left the FBI and Justice Department counting on the cooperation of one man.

Green River, Running Red

In the most extraordinary journey Ann Rule has ever undertaken, America's master of true crime has spent more than two decades researching the story of the Green River Killer, who murdered more than 49 young women. Green River, Running Red is a harrowing account of a modern monster, a killer who walked among us undetected. It is also the story of his quarry -- of who these young women were and who they might have become.

Publisher's Summary

Genteel society ladies who compare notes on their husbands' suicides. A hilariously foul-mouthed black drag queen. A voodoo priestess who works her roots in the graveyard at midnight. A prominent antiques dealer who hangs a Nazi flag from his window to disrupt the shooting of a movie. And a redneck gigolo whose conquests describe him as a "walking streak of sex". These are some of the real residents of Savannah, Georgia, a city whose eccentric mores are unerringly observed, and whose dirty linen is gleefully aired, in this utterly irresistible audio. At once a true-crime murder story and a hugely entertaining and deliciously perverse travelogue, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is as bracing and intoxicating as half-a-dozen mint juleps.

The author did an excellent job of interweaving the storylines of the characters in the book. It is also a beautiful verbal picture of Savannah. I found parts of the story to be a little slow-paced, but not boring... it had the effect of being calming. It matched the slow-paced life in Savannah very well.

I read this book when it came out in the 90's and loved it. Recently while planning a vacation to Savannah, I decided to listen to it again. I forgot how good it is, the characters, the humor, the stories, and side plots. What a wonderful combination to round out a nice thriller and mystery. Even if you read it 15 years ago, I recommend revisiting it. I consume at least 4 books a month, and rarely do I laugh out loud while listening to a book.

This is based on a true story, although the author was not there when Williams killed Hansford, but he does explain the circumstances of writing himself as the only fictional character (until he catches up with himself after the murder) in the interview that takes place after the book.

If you like humor and intrigue nicely wrapped up in a GREAT story, this is a wonderful book.

I've seen the movie many times, and just got around to the book....as usual, the book is SO much better, but the movie is still great.....Being a native Southern daughter, I'm usually unimpressed with other people's attempts to capture what life is really like in the South....this New Yorker did a great job....the performance is great on the audio as well.

What made the experience of listening to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil the most enjoyable?

The real life characters are interesting, dysfunctional, charming and totally seductive. I can''t believe that this is non fiction. I was also so impressed by Jeff Woodman's performance. He is amazing and truly took this audio to a new level.

What does Jeff Woodman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved when Jeff Woodman played Chablis, the fun loving fierce drag queen. He brought her to life and I loved her character. She is fun, sassy, and foul mouthed.

Any additional comments?

This is worth the credit and more. I loved this book. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time! I told my husband that I want to visit Savannah Georgia. If it is anything like this book - then I want to visit. I imagine a city that is architecturally stunning filled with plazas, big old trees, and interesting people (who like to drink :>). This book captured my imagination. Thank you John Berendt for writing a really great book!

I have been a member of Audible for over a year, and this is the best narration I have come across yet. He makes it so much more vivid, and I really appreciate that his southern accents are GOOD. They don't sound fake, which I think can be a problem. It helps, of course, that the book is really great and has very vivid characters, but I think the narration makes those characters really come to life. Especially Chablis! Oh I love her.
I also liked the little snippet of interview with the author at the end.

This is one of those books that hangs onto you even after the story is over. Berendt does an excellent job at capturing all the characters in this one! In fact after listening to about half of it I had to double check to make sure this was still non-fiction. Awesome narration! Woodman nails the Georgian accent and really individualizes the characters. I want to visit Savanah now!!

To be honest, I bought this audiobook because it was wildly popular (aka. made into a pop Hollywood movie) and it was set in the Deep South. To my delight, this book kept me engaged for every chapter. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, regardless of your state of origin, Southern or not!

This book was perfectly read by Jeff Woodman, whose voice was reminiscent of the narrator/main character in the movie version (John Cusack). The movie started about 2/3 of the way into the story, was great to finally hear the whole TRUE story. Listened to this all the way on a driving trip to Michigan and the miles flew by, enjoyed every bit.

Wonderful story line. Just recently saw the movie for the first time and it made it even better. The cast of chacters was great all having an important role as oppose to one dominating over everyone else. Would highly recommend this for listening.

I enjoyed my visit to Savannah this summer and managed to revisit the city again through "The Book." Hearing the author's interview at the end was a happy surprise. I read "The Book" years ago and forgot about the engaging characters. You don't have to visit Savannah to enjoy "The Book" but it definitely helps bring the story even more to life.

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